This blog is about being an assemblage artist living in Vancouver, BC. I use it to showcase my art, techniques, events and my travels.

Friday, November 8, 2013

FALL

Was a very busy fall, full of art galleries, design
show, taught a workshop, a great play and turkey! Also just in…. something major I did not
plan for!!!!

First off if you get the chance to see this play
anywhere in the world check out “Six Guitars” a one man show by Chase Padgett. www.sixguitars.com He is trying to get a show in NYC.

Have seen some great shows around town this past couple of
months. Lots of these shows are part of capturephotofest.com the first annual
city wide photography show in Vancouver.
They have a fantastic catalogue.

Equinox http://www.equinoxgallery.com/ is showing paintings
and collages by Gordon Smith. He is 94
and the show was almost sold out. The
reno they have done is absolutely fabulous.
Andy gave Sally and I a private tour which included his office. www.equinoxgallery.com

Gordon at work

Kimoto the new gallery on 6th at Granville is
showing Mel Yap a young
photographer. I love his take on
Vancouver. He prints on metallic paper
which makes the photos really pop. The
book of his work is wonderful and he is also going to include a download of
some of his music with the book. kimotogallery.com

Ewan McNeil’s new paintings are at 1965 Main Street. http://ewanmcneil.blogspot.ca with more details
also on facebook. Fantastic
monochromatic paintings. Sally could not
believe they were not photos and she is a photographer. www.sasabdesigns.com

Wayne Ngan had a sale at his daughter Gailan's studio...beautiful glazes...he is a master.. www.waynengan.com

Jennifer Kostiuk Gallery www.kostuikgallery.com has an amazing group show and two
photographers were my favourites. Dianne
Bos (pinhole camera) and Catherine Nelson (100’s of photos layered to create
her pieces).

Dianne Bos

Catherine Nelson

One of my favourites is at Jones
Gallery www.galleryjones.com and
is the photographer Danny Singer. Beautiful large photos from all over but a lot
from Saskatchewan. He travels around in
his motor home and snaps away. He
specializes in small towns with big skies!
He is a master of stitching these photos together.

Tony Yin Tak Chin did a beautiful
installation with pen and ink drawings on large rice paper with real flowers
attached. It was at the Brittania Library
Gallery.

Checked out the Craft show at the Pendulum Gallery...here are a few of my fav's...sorry don't have the artist's names.

My friend Nina has a new business importing felt products made by women from central Asia. Check out www.bingobillexchange.com ....rugs, slippers, pillows, etc.

Mayne Island was the location for
thanksgiving. The weather was fantastic
so we sat on the deck a lot. Walks,
magazine reading, scrabble, drinking wine and eating turkey rounded out the
visit.

Phil made the dinner...so yummy!

table set in the new dining room

Arnt doing some running with fire and beer ritual

I taught a two day workshop to some of
the artists at Performing Artists Lodge www.palvancouver.org. My
students were from 60 to 83 years old.
Was so fun. They were gearing up
for a two day show at PAL. One of my
students won the curators choice and another one won the people’s choice. I was so proud.

my set up

students hard at work

Lorna Schwenk's work in progress "Door to my past"

Other highlights this fall…

Our dear friends Patrick and Jeffery
got married! Ceremony in a beautiful 100
year old church and then Queens Park for the celebration.

newly married Patrick and Jeffery

Hosted my sister-in-laws 60th
birthday. All the best for the coming
year Lesia!

my sister Debra and I made these delicious appy's

What I was not planning for….fell off
my bike, broke my arm, had surgery to put an 11 cm (4.5") screw and plate in my
elbow….yikes!!! 6 to 8 week recovery…no use of my arm!

Many thanks to all my friends for flowers, cards, emails, calls, visits, food and outings! Thanks also to the medical team at VGH. Special thanks to my dear friend Sally who called me every day to cheer me up, brought food and took me on an outing. And HUGE thanks to my husband Arnt who rallied up to the challenge with everything from helping me bathe to cooking, shopping, keeping me entertained, etc., etc...all while getting ready for the Crawl!

Shows I was in this year…

Station House Gallery, Williams Lake,
BC - LAUNDRY

Terra Housing Boardroom, Vancouver, BC HAIDA GWAII PHOTOS {2 of 7}

Britannia Gallery, Vancouver, BCTHEN AND NOW

Laos Umbrellas

Santa Fe prayer flags

Van City West End, Vancouver, BCFRAMEWORK

Nanaimo Art Gallery, Nanaimo, BCMAYWORKS

Burnaby Arts Council Gallery, Burnaby,
BC

INTERNATIONAL BIRD ART{second year..I was in the Amsterdam one last year}

I have a project called “COMMON
CENTS”. As our Canadian penny is disappearing I
would like to do a piece with pennies so I am looking for your leftover
pennies. Please shoot me an email valeriearntzen@gmail.com and I
can come and pick up.

About Me

I have been an artist for over 20 years. As I travel in different countries, including my own, I find I need to create art to continue my experience and memories of those places. My assemblage pieces consist of found objects combined with my photographs and treasures collected during my travels. Once in the studio I take from my myriad of labeled boxes an object that I want to start with and combine it with other objects, text, photographs usually constructed in a found box to tell the story.